Shameless Self Expression

As a hurricane approaches, Pete Davidson holds a get together with his friend group. They eventually play the title game, the usual ‘guess the killer’ party game. And as usual with this sort of premise, someone dies for real. And then more people die. Lee Pace plays the new (yet very old ) boyfriend of one of the party attendees.   Strangely popular 2022 film from director Halina Reijn (much more prolific as an actress) and screenwriter Sarah DeLapp (her first produced screenplay) isn’t the tongue-in-cheek slasher film I was expecting. It’s closer to a dark comedy like “Very Bad Things” or “Donkey Punch” where unlikeable characters get involved in death during a night of sleazy/drunk shenanigans I have zero interest in. It’s the kind of film I hate because there’s no one worth latching onto. You know you’re in trouble when Pete Davidson isn’t even the least likeable person around. These people suck so why should I care if they live or die?   It’s an empty film, and f...

While King Richard the Lionheart is away The Archbishop of Canterbury (Jack Gwillim) acts as viceroy and speaks out against The Sheriff of Nottingham (Peter Cushing) who wants to confiscate the estate of a nobleman who has died in battle. Needless to say The Sheriff is outraged and plots to have the Archbishop killed, with the aid of the Earl of Newark (Richard Pasco) and his offsider Lord Melton (Oliver Reed). The man appointed the task of assassination? Robin Hood (Richard Greene). Needless to say, Robin quickly realises he’s on the wrong side of things and sets about making things right.   Although I think the later “A Challenge for Robin Hood” is the best of Hammer’s Robin Hood films, this 1960 outing from Terence Fisher ( “Horror of Dracula” , “The Hound of the Baskervilles” , “The Devil Rides Out” ) is a bit slight but perfectly acceptable entertainment. Essentially a big-screen version of TV’s “The Adventures of Robin Hood” it retains the show’s star Richard Greene (wh...